Is Big Horn Canyon NRA Doomed By Drought or Politics?

More and more instances of drought are predicted by those who closely study climate change. At the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in north-central Wyoming nearly eight years of drought have taken a huge toll, shrinking the NRA's Bighorn Lake by 30 miles. Now the spectre of politics is hanging over the NRA's future, as U.S. Senator Max Baucus, D-Montana, is pushing legislation that could further exacerbate the lake's water levels. Specifically, the senator's legislation would require the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to ensure a water flow from the lake's Yellowtail Dam regardless of how drought impacted the lake. Baucus's goal? Protect a trout fishery downstream of the NRA. As he puts it, "I'm from Montana, and Montana comes first."